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THE FUTURE OF UI / UX

(WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE X)

Blog

Tue Apr 18, 2017 · By David Issa

The role, influence, and impact of design thinking in product development has garnered tremendous respect and attention over the last two decades. During this time, the function of the designer on the product team has transformed from that of being the team’s “artist” to that of being the team’s product strategist and narrator – giving birth to a new archetype that blends the strategic and the creative (the Narrative Designer!), and forever altering the way companies must think about software development.

Narrative design is more than just the future of UX. It is also the future business model. Today, many companies are still oriented around “selling products and/or services to customers.” But this isn’t good enough for modern consumers. To earn their loyalty, companies must embrace a more humble mindset. They must strive to serve people’s needs. Through this lens, the experience consumers have with your company is the product. It’s more than just a simple transaction…it’s whether or not you provide the experience (the solution) they need and desire. These are the narratives that forward-thinking designers are (or should be) shaping.

Let’s look at a few of the other trends and technologies that will significantly impact UI / UX design in the both near and distant future.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): It is inevitable… UI Design will die.

AI is an uncontrollable phenomenon that stands to significantly impact UI / UX, specifically Interaction Design and Visual Design. In the future, interfaces won’t be designed by humans, but rather by software. There are two main reasons for this:

The Perfection of Interaction Design. Once we have identified the “optimal” way for a user to interact with a particular feature, take for example a “calendar picker,” there is no real need to “re-invent the wheel” with every new design iteration. As our body-of-knowledge around user testing begins to grow and becomes ubiquitous, we begin to narrow in on what’s optimal for different use cases. The need to change an interaction paradigm only occurs if the nature of the interface or the user’s context completely changes. As computers become intelligent and capable of “self-learning,” software interfaces will not be designed, but rather generated on the fly for optimal user interaction. Interactive components will live as a library within a software system, leveraged by AI-enabled systems to serve individuals with optimal experiences. As new “interactive components and paradigms” are added to a software’s UI library, AI-enabled systems will be able to not only test the basic efficacy of the interaction paradigm in real-time, but also its efficacy across contextual environments, devices, personality-types, ages, etc. In this manner, “good design” will give way to “the right design,” every time.

Personality Responsive Design. Personalization is already at the heart of many digital strategies, but AI will take it to the next level. With AI, the experience a user has with a digital interface is fluid. The UI layer of a digital product / service will be able to automatically re-render content to accommodate a user’s unique tastes, dispositions, age, etc. Thus, the question will shift from “what content does this user need/want?” to “what kind of relationship should we (the company) have with this user?” At the heart of defining these relationships will be a personality and content strategy that defines the character narrative a company wants to play in said individual’s life. The content strategy of an application, including character development and approach to story-telling, will become the experience.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT UI /UX?

Manipulation as a Skill (Personality Designers)

“The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.” — Philip K. Dick

We discussed how AI will take over tactical design tasks, but how will AI systems themselves be designed? At present, we tend to think of AI systems as a singular personality type. However, as AI models evolve, these systems will become capable of taking on different personality “types” and methods of communication. Designing appropriate personalities for different tasks and modalities will become a critical skill-set. Defining and designing a personality and/or behavior, though, requires subtlety and manipulation, so that downstream “automated” decisions have the desired impact and psychological frame of mind. This means designers of AI systems will require a keen understanding of psychology and sentential logic, and must also be able to cultivate wisdom.

The Re-Emergence of Craftsmen & Industrial Designers

In a world where AI increasingly drives communication with consumers, the concept of an “interface” will slowly begin to disappear. In recent years, the prominence of the industrial designer has taken somewhat of a “back seat” to digital designers in terms of popularity, but this trend will reverse in the future. An industrial designers’ ability to think and craft in 3D; knowledge of different materials and their applications; and understanding of yet-to-be modern manufacturing processes will re-emerge as critical skill sets. This shift is being driven by three primary things:

Virtual & Augmented Reality (VR and AR). VR and AR 3-D design skills are becoming increasingly important in the realm of UX design, especially as the application of these systems is creating countless new opportunities within the travel and entertainment industries, and, more importantly, in industrial design and modeling. Everything in this arena – from the way medical equipment, automobiles, and, airplanes are conceived and produced, to architecture and interior design – will undergo a transformational shift. (We are already experiencing the beginnings of this!)

3-D Printing. 3-D printing and industrial manufacturing are on the cusp of a major boom. No longer will our manufacturing processes be restricted by the economies of scale that have driven design patterns in the past. 3-D printing will allow for customized design patterns that can serve a particular need to be cost-effectively “printed” and leveraged within a larger manufacturing context. This will ultimately allow for newer, higher-quality products and ideas to come onto the market…ones that never would have seen the light of day in the past.

Material. Material innovations are by no means new, however, advances on this front will continue to transform our world in radical ways. Specifically, advancements in material technologies will shape how technology is embedded to better serve users, our experiences, and even the environment. As new material capabilities (think Tesla’s solar tiles, and/or conductive fabric that can monitor vitals) come onto the scene, new and better ways of supporting user needs will become apparent. This has the potential to radically challenge current ideas on how we are served by technology, and the role of privacy and security within the context of a ubiquitously connected, “invisible” environment.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

Our physical world is changing just as rapidly as our digital one. To date, we have been largely restricted by the need for a “box and a digital interface” to connect with the virtual world, but this model is changing rapidly, as more and more connected “things” make their way into our lives. These new “things” offer new paradigms for design, interaction, and manufacturing that many have yet to consider, including the ability to be perpetually on, but invisible to our senses. How should these connected devices be designed? How should we interact with them? There are many questions that are yet to be asked or answered. Ultimately, a “craftsman” mindset will help us thrive in a world where “personalization” will become as much of a physical reality, as it is a digital one.

Conclusion

For business leaders: The future of UX is “UX as the product” and, as such, our world is driving toward a time where defining and articulating the experiential narrative (the “what” as well as the “why” and “how”) of your brand / product / company will be the single most important thing you do to attract and retain customers. Interfaces are disappearing and business models are shifting to service-oriented models that extend the engagement and, thus, the relationship you have with your consumers. Managing this on-going experiential narrative will require long-term thinking and keen narrative design skills, especially as AI systems take over digital communication channels.

For designers: While technologies like AI will shift many designers away from the tactical to the more strategic, narrative, and psychological domains, the foundational skills you possess – those of holistic “right-brain” thinkers – will position you to successfully lead in the future. And for those who wish to remain “tactical,” the physical world, enabled by smart materials and other technologies, will return as the primary medium.

To connect with one of PointClear Solutions’ UI / UX experts or to learn more about our digital strategy, design, development, and/or management services, Contact Us. (And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn for more great content!)

DAVID KARABINOS

CEO, PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIRMAN

As President and CEO of PointClear Solutions, David works with the board and executive team driving the vision and strategies of the company. His 36+ years of technology and business experience have helped PointClear achieve exceptional and steady growth since he joined the company in 2010. David honed his skills during the first 18 years of his career in Fortune 500 companies. Since then he has used those skills to create and build numerous companies including eHealthClaim, EquaTerra, Halo Monitoring, American Bank of Huntsville, Harvest Business Advisors and PointClear Solutions. David earned a BS in Business Management/Finance from the University of Alabama Birmingham.

BLAINE ANDERSON

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Blaine co-founded PointClear in 2006 and has been heavily involved in all aspects of the company as it has grown from a startup to a market leader. Blaine started his career at NASA and spent 17 years there studying vibration and acoustic effects in the Space Station and the Space Shuttle programs. Prior to PointClear, Blaine was involved at startups in the healthcare and software development areas, including eHealthClaim and ComFrame. Blaine earned an engineering degree from Auburn University, and currently serves as a mentor at numerous incubators in the Nashville area.

Daren McCormick

COO, EVP & BOARD DIRECTOR

As Chief Operating Officer, Daren works closely with the company’s leadership to guide and direct the day-to-day operations of the company. For over 25 years, Daren has served in progressively more responsible leadership positions across a wide range of privately held and publicly traded companies, including “Fortune” companies. Daren has dedicated his career to the delivery of creative solutions in the healthcare information technology marketplace. Daren holds a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Software Engineering.

NEAL EVANS, PhD

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Neal Evans, PhD., is both a founder and board member at PointClear Solutions. His interests include artificial intelligence, computational physics, and evolutionary algorithms. His contributions range from the theoretical to the practical, including advances in machine learning, physics, and theoretical optics, and application of these concepts to health informatics. He is a member of the American Physical Society (APS), the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE). He has published in scientific journals and books. Neal is a former board member of the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club and volunteers for Carpenter’s Hands in Birmingham, Alabama.

LEE FARABAUGH

BOARD DIRECTOR, FOUNDER

Lee Farabaugh is both a member of the Board of Directors and founder of PointClear Solutions. She is a senior technology design, operations, and innovation expert, with more than a decade of experience in financial technology (fintech) and healthcare IT. Currently, Lee is serving as chief operating officer of Core10, a company that she also co-founded. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Wake Forest University, a master’s degree in human-computer interaction from Georgia Tech, and a master’s degree in health informatics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she is an adjunct instructor. Before joining PointClear in 2006, she was a usability engineer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SHAWN EWING

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

As Vice President of Project Management, Shawn oversees a team of project managers to ensure the successful delivery of client’s software development engagements. Shawn is a motivated, personable business professional with over 12 years of product and project management experience. Since joining PointClear Solutions in 2011, he has applied his project management skills to numerous projects spanning several months to multi-year engagements. He is accomplished in project management methodologies, web and mobile development projects, project planning, team building and communication. Shawn earned a BS in Education from Missouri State University and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

THADD SELDEN

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

As a Principal Architect, Thadd helps PointClear Solutions design innovative and scalable web applications and mobile app back-ends. Thadd has a degree in Physics and Math and started his career in defense. After spending 7 years building ground control systems for unmanned systems, first for the Navy and later for Raytheon, Thadd moved on to work on web technologies. He has been using Ruby on Rails since its infancy and has helped launch dozens of successful web and mobile projects.

TOMMY WHITE

VICE PRESIDENT, SOLUTIONS MANAGEMENT

For more than 20 years, technology has been at the center of Tommy White’s career. Across multiple industries, including industrial automation, process control, banking, retail, and healthcare, he has used this central theme to make great ideas a reality. Among the leading international organizations with which Tommy has worked are Siemens, BBVA, and InfluenceHealth. Leaning on degrees in both computer science and psychology, he fully understands that solutions are not independent topics, but rather a choreographed dance between business, technologies, and end users.

Tommy has been a part of the PointClear Solutions team since early 2016 and serves as Vice President, Solutions Management. He is based out of the Birmingham, Alabama, office and his team is responsible for establishing the strategic services that PointClear clients and partners take advantage of for long-term planning, roadmap definition, and execution. PointClear’s proven Solutions process is both a core driver for success, and an accelerator for any multi-phase, multi-platform solutions.

SHAWN FARRAR

SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR

Solutions Director Shawn Farrar joined PointClear Solutions in 2011 and offers expertise in enterprise and business strategy, project management, product management, business analysis, and vendor management. Previously, he served as a global project manager at Apple and a manager, cloud systems, at Hertz Global Holdings. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in human factors from the University of Illinois and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health informatics from Northwestern University.

MICHAEL ATKINS

VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNICAL SERVICES

Michael Atkins joined PointClear Solutions in 2017 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s technical services functions, including management of a team of architects and engineers.

Before joining PointClear, Michael spent several years with Change Healthcare, where he served as the company’s director of Applications Development, Engagement Solutions. Prior to this, he was a director of Healthcare Clinical Solutions Development with Walgreens.

Michael holds a BPA in computer science and accounting from Mississippi State University.

CHRIS HAMMACK

VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Chris Hammack brings to the PointClear Solutions team more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience. A seasoned sales and business development leader, he most recently served Greenway Health as a regional vice president. He offers expertise in population health and revenue cycle operations, among other areas of healthcare.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and holds various other networking, management, and sales certifications, including one from the Sandler sales training program.

CHRIS KARABINOS

VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Chris Karabinos has been with PointClear Solutions since 2011, serving in various business development positions, including sales, marketing and partnership development. As vice president of Business Development, he has helped develop PointClear’s business in the healthcare technology market nationally, as well as in the Southeast United States.

Previously, Chris served eHealthClaim, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and ChoicePoint. He is very active in the HIT community in Georgia, serving on the boards of TAG-Health, Health 2.0 Atlanta and Kennesaw State University’s Healthcare Management & Informatics School. Chris has also served on the HIT Leadership Summit’s Steering Committee since 2012. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia.